Discourses Upon Several Divine Subjects, Part 3
COLOS. iii. 2.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the Earth.
THAT 'tis our Intereſt, as well as Duty, to ſet our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, I ſhall (without any preliminary Diſcourſe) briefly evince from theſe following Reaſons.
I. Becauſe they only are proportion'd to the utmoſt Capacity of the Soul, and conſequently they only can yield her true Satisfaction; whereas all things here are vain, inſufficient, empty, and unſatisfying.
II. Becauſe they only are Permanent, Sure, and Certain; whereas all things here are frail, ſhort, and uncertain.
III. Becauſe they only refine and ſpiritualize our Nature, widen and enlarge our Faculties, and ſo fit and prepare us for the ſpiritual and abſtracted Entertainments of an Immortal and Divine Life; whereas all things here degravate and weigh down the Soul, reach out to her that Cup of Oblivion, which makes her forget her own Nature and Excellencies, and ingloriouſly to take up with the enjoyments of Brutes.
1. 'Tis our Intereſt, as well as Duty, to ſet our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, becauſe they only are proportion'd to the utmoſt Capacity of the Soul, and conſequently they only can yield her true Satisfaction; whereas all things here are vain, inſufficient empty, and unſatisfying. Whoever diligently attends to the Workings of his own Mind, and ſeriouſly conſiders the Bent, Appetites, and Inclinations of his Soul, will ſoon find her to be of ſo exalted a Nature, that not all the Good of the Creation, tho' amaſs'd together and fully enjoy'd, would be able to terminate her Deſires, to employ the whole Activity of her Love, to fix her entire weight, or to detain and give Anchorage to her boundleſs Aſpirations. The voluptuous Epicurean (whatever he pretends) can never ſatisfie the Cravings of his Soul with Corporeal Pleaſure, nor the moſt Quinteſſential Stoick find an foreign and foreign, a Self-ſufficiency and Tranquility within his Breaſt, ariſing out of the Pregnancy of his own Mind and Reaſon. foreign. Our Souls have ſtrong and weighty Motions, and nothing can bear them up, but ſomething permanent and immutable. They Sink through all theſe preſent Entertainments, as a Stone does through a watery Medium, till at length it happily arrives to its own proper Center. They may indeed enjoy ſo much of this or that particular Object, as to deſire no more of it; but then their Deſires are ſtill running out after ſome other Objects; and when they have obtain'd and enjoy'd them too, they ſtill remain as diſſatisfy'd as before. The Eye is not ſatisfy'd with ſeeing, nor the Ear with hearing, ſays *Eccleſ. 1.8.Solomon. Tho' they are the wideſt of all the Senſes, and can take in more abundance with leſs Satiety, and ſerve more immediately for the Supplies of the Rational Soul; yet a Man's Eye ſtrings may even crack through Vehemency of Poring, and his Ears be fill'd with all the Variety of the moſt exquiſite Sounds, Harmonies, and Lectures in the World; and after all, his Soul within him be as greedy to ſee and hear more as it was at firſt. Hence ariſe Diſtractions of Heart, anxious and carking Thought for to Morrow; Rovings and Inquiſitions of the Soul after infinite Varieties of earthly things; ſparklings of the Luſt; Swarms of Endleſs Thoughts; thoſe Ebbings and Flowings, thoſe Tempers and Aeſtuations of that Sea of Corruption in the Heart of Man, becauſe the Soul can find no Center here to reſt upon, nothing large enough for the Entertainments of ſo ample and ſo endleſs a Gueſt. In ſhort, We may (I confeſs) refreſh our ſelves with the Excellencies of the Creatures, and diſcover ſuch variety of Sweetneſs and Beauty in their Natures, as will plentifully entertain us with delightſome Speculations. But for pure Reſt and Peace, for plenary Acquieſcence and Termination of Deſires, 'tis no where (as I have *Doctrin of a God, and Provid. Vindicat. & Aſſert. p. 36, 37.elſewhere ſhewn at large) to be found within the whole Latitude of the Creation. Nay, This is confirm'd by the ingenuous Confeſſion of One, who was the moſt Experienc'd of all the Sons of Adam for Enquiry, the moſt wiſe for Contrivance, the moſt wealthy for compaſſing all Earthly Delights: Who, many years ſifted out the fineſt Flour, and tortur'd Nature to extract the moſt exquiſite Spirits, the pureſt Quinteſſence, which all the Varieties of earthly Delights could afford. Who yet at laſt had nothing better to ſay of them all, than that they were Vanity and Vexation of Spirit. I have ſeen (*Eccleſ. 1.14. ſays he) all the works that are done under the Sun, and behold All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit.
This (I ſay) is our caſe with all theſe preſent Entertainments: They ſmilingly offer themſelves to our Embraces, and deceitfully promiſe us all the Satisfaction our Hearts can deſire. But when we have once taken them into our Arms, they immediately fade and pine away in our very Embraces, and leave the Soul weeping and diſconſolate for her unexpected Diſappointment.
But now 'tis quite otherwiſe with the things that are above. No ſooner does the Soul paſs from her dark Priſon into the Manſions of Light and Glory; but in that Paradiſe of God, where happy Spirits ſit down by immortal Streams, entertaining themſelves with Songs of Love and Praiſe, ſhe finds perfect Satisfaction and Termination of all her deſires. Having joyn'd herſelf to God (to ſpeak Platonically) as a Center to a Center, ſhe reſts there with full Acquieſcence and Complacency. Whatſoever is beautiful and glorious, whatſoever is fair, lovely, and harmonious in the Face of Nature, ſhe contemplates in the moſt eminent manner in her Beloved, the Unfoldings of whoſe Beauty diſcover to her ſuch Cauſes of Joy, of Tranſports, of Extaſies and Raviſhment of Spirit, that all her Faculties overflow with Joy and Everlaſting Gladneſs. Which brings me to my Second Conſideration, which is to ſhew, that 'tis our Intereſt, as well as Duty, to ſet our Affections on things above, not on things on the Earth, becauſe They only are permanent, ſure, and certain; whereas all things here are frail, ſhort, and uncertain.
2. Now tho' we were born with all the Advantages of an healthful Body and of a chearful Spirit, and bleſt with all the Circumſtances of Succeſs and Fortune: yet when we have compaſs'd all our Projects, when we are happy (if poſſible) to the utmoſt of our Capacities, when all things conſpire to compleat our Felicity, the moſt pleaſant Proſpect we can take from this higheſt pitch of humane Happineſs, is the gloomy Regions of approaching Death and Darkneſs. The Fatal Sword hangs perpetually over our Heads, and tho' it may poſſibly hover there for ſome time, it cannot be long, before it fall, and cut off the Thread of Life, and ſo put a final period to all our Mirth and Happineſs. 'Tis the irreverſible Decree of Heaven, that after a ſhort, muſhroom Life, we return into Duſt and Silence; and that, when we have floated up and down a few Minutes upon the troubleſome Waves of this tempeſtuous World, we diſappear, and Sink back into the grave and bottomleſs Dungeons of Oblivion. Nay perhaps, whilſt we are dancing upon theſe reſtleſs Waves, ſome violent Accident may prevent the Work of Nature, and ſuddenly cruſh the Bubble into its original Nothing. In ſhort, All thoſe Differences, which now ſo much diſtinguiſh the ſeveral ſorts of Men, muſt ere long expire, and the Aſhes of the Deform'd and Beautiful, of the Learn'd and Ignorant, of the Honourable and Baſe, lie intermingled together. The Crowns of Kings, and the Shackles of the Priſoners, the Robes of Princes and the Rags of Beggars, the Gallants Bravery and the Peaſants Ruſſet, the Statiſts Policy, the Courtiers Luxury, the Souldiers Gallantry, and the Scholars Curioſity, muſt all, ere long, be laid aſide in the Melancholy Retirements of the Grave.foreign. M. Anton. ad Stipſ. lib. 5. c. 8. p. 135. What then is there in all this World that deſerves our Care? What worthy the Thoughts, the Love, the Embraces of an immortal Soul? Alas! were theſe Things never ſo good and ſatisfactory in themſelves, yet this ſingle Conſideration of their Shortneſs and Uncertainty, would (like a Moth fretting a Garment) cauſe all their Beauty to conſume away, and conſtrain the Wiſe and thinking Few to pronounce them Vanity.
But as the Things that are ſeen, theſe preſent Entertainments of Senſe, are Temporal; ſo the Things that are not ſeen, thoſe Glories, Crowns, and Scepters, that expect us in the other World are Eternal. Heaven is an Eternal Sabbath, the Saints Everlaſting Reſt. Their Inheritance is not only Undefil'd, but incorruptible likewiſe, and ſuch, as fadeth not away. There they Labour no more, Sin no more, Sorrow no more; but, ſecure of the Everlaſting Fruition of thoſe Unutterable Glories bask themſelves in the pleaſant Rivers of overflowing Felicity. Their Crowns are ſet with the invaluable and ſparkling Diamonds of Immortality; Their Glory is immarceſſible, and ſuffers no Eclipſe; and they follow the Lamb in white Robes, and ſhine like the Stars in the Firmament for Ever and Ever. O come then, thou bright and Everlaſting Day, and break in upon theſe ſad benighted Souls of ours! Put an End to this toilſome, this weariſome State, and take us into the poſſeſſion of thine own Reſt and Peace; that theſe ſuperficial, fallacious Pleaſures may never beguile us more, but we ſecurely Sabbatize in the Kingdom of God, the Eternal Comprehenſions of Celeſtial Glory.
3. 'Tis our Intereſt, as well as Duty, to ſet our Affection on things above, not on things on the Earth, becauſe They only refine and ſpiritualize our Nature, widen and enlarge our Faculties, and ſo fit and prepare us for the ſpiritual and abſtracted Entertainments of an immortal and Divine Life; whereas all things here degravate and weigh down the Soul, reach out to her that Cup of Oblivion, which makes her forget her own Nature and Excellencies, and ingloriouſly to take up with the Enjoyments of Brutes. When the deluded Soul is once taken Captive by the ſuperficial, falſe gloſſing Excellencies of temporary Objects, and ſuffers herſelf to be lull'd aſleep in the Lap of ſenſual Enjoyments, they immediately ſpoil her of her Strength and Beauty, and betray her into the hands of her immortal Enemies. They entirely ſhave off thoſe golden Locks, which rendred her at once invincible and comely, and by clipping her radiant and ſublimating Wings, confine her to the lower Regions of Senſe and Materiality. Nay, by the deluſive Strains of their Magical Songs they ſo effectually ſteal away and inchant her Affections, that ſhe grows utterly unmindful of her Relations above, and reſigns herſelf wholly to their unequal Embraces. Her noble Aſpirations, which could eaſily aſcend above the utmoſt Limits of corruptible Nature into the boundleſs Habitations of immortal Bleſſedneſs, like heavy terrene Exhalations, ariſe now no higher than the Regions of Senſe; and all the rational and delicious Entertainments of abſtracted Contemplations give way to the vile, impure ſuggeſtions of an earthly, ſenſual, and brutiſh Imagination. In ſhort, They ſo vaſtly decline her from her true and natural Point, and ſink her ſo low into the loathſome Faeculencies of the material World, that (as tho' 'twas the Perfection of her Nature to be ſubſervient to the Body, and uninterruptedly to enjoy the beggarly Delights and Gratifications of Senſuality) ſhe openly Proſecutes the exalted Entertainments of the Divine Life with all the Expreſſions of Rudeneſs and Diſdain, and ſhameleſly chooſeth that for her Portion and Inheritance, which is the particular and diſcriminating Curſe of the Serpent: Ʋpon thy Belly ſhalt thou go, and Duſt ſhalt thou eat all the days of thy life.
But now as the ſcanty diſproportionate Enjoyments of Senſe naturally debaſe and impoveriſh the Soul, ſo do the Contemplation of ſpiritual Objects unconceivably improve and enlarge all her Faculties. As when Moſes convers'd with his moſt glorious Maker, and the attending Myriads of Holy Ones upon Mount Sinai, he deriv'd upon his Face ſuch Reflexions of their Beauty, ſuch bright and vivid Irradations of their excellent Glory, that the Children of Iſrael could not look ſtedfaſtly upon it; ſo when we frequently meditate upon the noble and exalted Beings of the other World, they naturally dilate and expand all our Faculties, ſublimate and brighten our enlarged Spirits, till they appear like thoſe of their own Company, Beautiful and Majeſtick, as the Sons of the Morning. They raiſe ſuch importunate and inſatiable Deſires, ſuch towring and ſeraphick Aſpirations in the Soul, as will acquieſce and terminate only in the bliſsful Enjoyments of the Supreme Good, the everlaſting Fruition of his incomprehenſible Glory. The beſt Enjoyments, the nobleſt Entertainments this World can afford, ſavour of nothing now but Dung and Filthineſs to their Palates, which can reliſh nothing but the Dew of Heaven, the ſpiritual Manna, the Food of Angels, thoſe pure and divine Joys which refreſh the Saints above for evermore. And thus whereas the Degenerate Soul, which is clogg'd with the Propenſions of the Animal Life, needs no angry Cherub with a flaming Sword to keep her unhallow'd hands from off the Tree of Life, her own corrupted Nature (as the excellent Pythagorean and Academick have long ſince obſerv'd) being utterly uncapable of the Joys of Heaven; this enlarg'd and purify'd Soul, on the contrary, is duly qualify'd for the nobleſt Entertainments of that exalted State. From the Suitableneſs and Congruity of her Faculties with the Objects, ſhe will ſweetly centre upon thoſe intellectual Pleaſures, and moſt amply ſpend all her Powers upon the Infinite and Eſſential Goodneſs, as upon her moſt proper Object, the End of her Being, the Author and Finiſher of her Happineſs and Glory. In a word, She will go away from her earthly Tabernacle ready tun'd to the Muſick of Heaven, in the firſt moment of her Entrance skilfully ſtrike in with the Quires of Angels, and harmoniouſly raiſe her Voice to the Songs of Sion.
Thus you have my Reaſons which enforce the Exhortation in the Text. I ſhall now briefly deduce from them two or three practical Inferences, and conclude.
1. Then, You have ſeen how vain, inſufficient, empty, and unſatisfying all the Profits and Pleaſures of this World are: that the whole Earth, tho' chang'd into one Paradiſe, would not be able to yield the Soul Satisfaction; and likewiſe if it could, that ſhe is not certain of enjoying it one minute. Let this Conſideration then teach us to pray with the Excellent *Vide Simplicii Orationem apud Jamblichum ad calcem notarum. Edit. Ox. eandem videas ad finem Epicteti.Philoſopher, That we may know our ſelves, and not devote our Exalted Nature to the empty Gayeties of theſe momentary Bubbles; but apply our Minds conſtantly foreign, to the glorious Realities of the other World, the ſubſtantial Entertainments of Life and Immortality. Let it remind us (I ſay) not to truſt in theſe uncertain Riches, theſe broken Reeds, theſe ſlender Stays of Vanity, theſe Impertinencies, Dreams, and Nothings; but to lay up our Treaſures in Heaven, thoſe ſecure and everlaſting Store-houſes, where no Thief approacheth, nor Moth corrupteth, nor Death, which blaſts all our Enjoyments here, interpoſeth; but we ſhall reign Kings and Princes with our God for ever and ever. Let it warn us to be perpetually mindful of our Mortality, and humbly and diligently to wait all the days of our appointed time, till our Change come. In a word, Let it oblige us to forget thoſe things that are behind, and reaching forth unto thoſe things that are before, to preſs with all poſſible Vehemence towards the Mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Chriſt Jeſus.
2. You have ſeen how great and glorious the Rewards that expect us in the other World are; that they are both proportion'd to the utmoſt Capacity of the Soul, and alſo will be enjoy'd to all Eternity. Do not you then long for this happy ſtate? and ſigh and deſire ardently with St. Paul to be diſſolv'd, and to be with Chriſt?*My Father, and Mr. John Gregory, in his poſthumous Diſcourſe of the Morality of the Sabbath, pag. 101. Here (as ſays a Bleſſed Author) you have hard Working-days, ſore Labour and Travel under the Sun. The Devil aſſaults you, the World hates you, your own evil Hearts many times diſtreſs you, and crazy Bodies diſcourage you. We are all here clouded with Sin and Miſery, and ah! our Vileneſs is upon us. Let us then bear up our Souls upon the loftieſt Wing of Divine Contemplation, and follow our Aſcending Lord above this Darkneſs and miſerable Habitations into the radiant Manſions of his Fathers Houſe, the Kingdom of Glory. Let us meditate Day and Night upon that bleſſed time, when we ſhall have our Feet upon the Top of Mount Sion, and rejoyce in the Felicity of his Choſen, the unfolded and eſſential Glories of his Divine Countenance, which are too bright for our mortal Faculties, and which none can ſee and live. When we ſhall give Thanks with his Inheritance, the bleſſed Societies of Saints and Angels, and everlaſtingly enjoy the delicious Repaſts of Anthems and Allelujahs: in ſhort, upon the infinite Tranſports and Raviſhments of the Soul in the ſecure and everlaſting Fruition of the Divine Love, upon the mutual Endearments and Careſſes of Immortal Spirits, and upon all thoſe glorious things which are ſpoken by him who made and fully underſtands them, of the City of God. Let us frequently and ſeriouſly (I ſay) contemplate theſe things, and they will moſt aſſuredly ſo influence our Wills, and fan the Flame of our Affections, that we ſhall become perfectly foreign, dead to our ſelves, and to all the luſcious Reliſhes of the ſenſual Nature, continually tending upwards with importunate Reaches towards heavenly Objects. Then we ſhall be ſufficiently encourag'd to take up the Croſs of Chriſt, and willingly and chearfully undergo all the Afflictions and Tribulations of this Life; well knowing, that the Sufferings of this preſent time are not worthy to be compar'd with the Glory that ſhall be revealed in us; this light Affliction, which is but for a moment, working for us foreign, an infinitely more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.
Laſtly, As our future Happineſs proceeds from the Viſion of God, ſo you have ſeen, that without Holineſs no Man can ſee him. Let this then excite us to form and faſhion the Frame of our Minds into a Likeneſs and Affinity with our Bleſſed Maker. Let it oblige us to prepare our ſelves for the Intuition of his Beauty, to purifie ourſelves as he is pure, and to purge, refine, and ſpiritualize our Nature, that we may be qualify'd for the Poſſeſſion of our proper Centre, our home and native Region, the Higheſt Heaven. Let it lead our awak'ned Souls to the Divine Goodneſs and Philanthropy for the Regulation of their diſorderly and tumultuous Appetites, and induce them humbly and intenſly to pray at the Throne of Grace, that they may perfect Holineſs in the Fear of God. For when we thus ſincerely deſire to ſhake our ſelves from the Duſt, to ariſe, and put on our beautiful Garments, and to ſee the King in his Beauty, the Glory of the Lord will be revealed to us, and we ſhall certainly behold the Excellency of our God. As the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride, ſolacing himſelf in the ardent and dear Reciprocations of her Love, ſo will our God rejoyce over us. He will be in the midſt of us, he will ſave us, he will rejoyce over us with Joy: He will reſt in his Love, he will rejoyce over us with Singing. He will take away all our Droſs, and for his Name's ſake purifie and cleanſe the Corruptions of our Nature, until the Righteouſneſs thereof go forth as Brightneſs, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth. In a word, He will vouchſafe us the moſt gracious Viſitations and Elapſes of his Holy Spirit, and never leave letting himſelf down into us, till he has quite looſen'd us from Sin and from ourſelves, and wrought us up into ſuch a bleſſed Uniformity with the Divine Nature, as will make us meet for his amiable Dwellings, the City of Righteouſneſs, where we ſhall joyfully mention the loving Kindneſſes of the Lord, and be for ever delighted with the Abundance of his Glory.
Which God, of his Infinite Mercy, grant, &c.